pregnant mare choking!!!!

[mlm]

my mare is 5month pregnant. she came in from field last night, had her dinner then started choking. it was horrid and lasted for about 10mins. her whole neck was having cramps and she was breathing irregular. i phoned the vet straight away and they said they would ring me back in 15mins. by this time it had passed and she looked fine but i still wanted her and the foal checked. they refused to come out saying that they would not do an emergency call just for a checkup. they said the foal would of been in distress because my mare was. because she was in distress they did not want to do an internal THEN said if the foal dies its not like humans you can't try and save it. i am distraught. my mare's stomach sounds like it is gurgling rather loud. this is my first foal and i was wondering if this has happened to anyone else. i have phoned the vet today and booked her herpes jab and i will get them to check her then. i just need some advice please

 

[Tempi]

At this stage she will be bleeding heavily if she has lost the foal.

It sounds like she just got something stuck in her throat, i really wouldnt worry too much - altho its easier said than done i know!

Bloss's stomach gurgles all the time, so i wouldnt worry about that either!

When is she due? Bloss is due on 10th April

 

[Fahrenheit]

I had a pregnant mare that had a serious choke a few yesrs back and the vet had to come and tube her to try and clear the obstruction, it was horrid and because of the tubing and amount of water he had to use he said their was a risk of pnemonia, anyways she was fine and so was baby!!!

 

[alleycat]

I think you should look for a less patronising, less offhand vet; you were entitled to a bit of support there, and you didn't get it.

Even though the vet's advice was probably right, I can't help feeling that there will be a day whan you're worried about something that seems serious to you but is apparently minor and this vet will take a gamble on you being a panicking owner and not bother to check it out; and it will be serious after all.

 

[Nickijem]

My horse, Jerry, had an attack of choke a few weeks ago, it was about the most distressing thing I had seen. I guessed it was choke but was worried because his stomach was very gurgly and I had lost my last horse to colic only in April.
I was about to ring the vet but then it cleared and Jerry carried on grazing as though nothing had happened!! Except for leaving me needing a large gin and tonic.
What I am trying to say is that, although choke looks and sounds awful, it is rarely serious, unless it carries on for more than half an hour or so. Jerry had a rumbly tummy but he was fine as I'm sure your mare will be. However, I would be a bit naffed off with your vet - I'm sure a bit more understanding would be more helpful.

 

[pocomoto]

Unless there are other problems you would be very unlikely to loose the foal, It probably slept through the lot!

My old boy (now passed away) choked for years and I know how distressing it is. The little bugger would always bolt his food but after several bad choking incidents they found a growth around his oesophagus (think thats the spelling). But it cost them an endoscope, whilst talking the vet inadvertantly fed it into reach of his back teeth!

We had several trips to the vet hospital and each time he was clear when he arrived (I felt a fraud) so we then tried loading him and travelling, but that alone didn't clear it. Then I had a moment, the road to the hospital was full of speed bumps and the motion of going over them was somehow clearing the obstruction! I found lunging over a little jump would also do the trick. I also made sure his feed was well soaked, never fed small chunks of anything, avoided nuts of any size and put large round stones from the beach in his feed bowl to slow him down. All helped.

If its any help he was diagnosed at around 15 and lived until an old injury spelled the end at 27!

Sometimes my youngster chokes because he will bolt his feed but apart from a few squeeks it usually clears, so now I employ the same tactics with him and feed him separate to avoid competition.

PS think of changing your vet they really should have come out and I cant see what use sticking an arm up the rear end would be they just needed to listen for heartbeat to tell if the foal was ok and not too stressed! Besides they do rectals when checking if a mare is still in foal! Seriously change beacuse they might let you down when foaling and that could be dangerous!

Be careful when you jab her as she has just had a stressful experience and from the choke, they can get small lung infections, so you might want to hold off a bit if you can to give her immune system time to recover.

 

[mlm]

thanks everyone. she is fine know but i was so worried, this was not my vet but the duty vet on call fom the practise and i was willing to pay extra for a check up. she just seemed so blaze about it but to me it was the first time i had seen a choke and it was scary
p.s she is due on april 1st (aprils fool day) that could only happen to me.